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Monday, April 24, 2006

Fringe Schedule: 19th Singapore International Film Festival '06

Since the end of the ‘80s, Hong Kong has been through tremendous changes - re-unification with China, economic downturn, political reform, etc, have all greatly affected the way of life. In the film, about 60 people are invited to talk about their views on several major socio-economic and political issues.Director: Tammy CheungCountry: Hong KongDuration: 60minYear: 2005Rating: PGQuite good for the first 15 minutes, it then becomes a bore, as its non-stop talking heads. The people talking are placed in the middle of the frame, with a bare white background. I was interesting to see the different ordinary faces of Hongkongers [not like the movie stars we see], but the faces start repeating. I feel that it could have been shorter. but the fact that it made me consider repackaging what I always wanted to do, a human rights film, into one talking about transparency, is a good result.

Sound of Footsteps on the Pavement (PG)

About a bunch of guys trying to save the imminent takeover of their favorite coffee shop by an apparel company. A strange scenario to showcase non-violent action, but quite different.

9.00pm

Coffee and Milk (PG)

Milk is a 6th grader who takes pictures with a camera every day, training to someday be like ARAKI, the Japanese photographer. He is in love with a woman 12 years older than him named Coffee, who is deaf from birth. He tries to imagine what kind of world Coffee lives in, and at first, attempts to fill in what he thinks is lacking there, and fails. Next, the thinks about what his world and hers have in common. He grows by experiencing love, not because Coffee is older than he is, but because she mercilessly hurls her pain in Milk’s direction. Her seriousness is moving, and so when Milk tries to build a bridge again without giving up, his efforts are moving, too.Director: Izuru KumasakaCountry: JapanDuration: 30minYear: 2004Rating: N.AThe usual heartwarming kid story. At first, it doesn't seem clear what the kid is photographing, a sleeping passenger, an old lady, plates being broken, aha. He's trying to photograph sound. The keyword here is trying. He also tries to experience what the lady feels, but putting on earplugs. When the lady gets all worked up because what he shows here makes her even more depressed, he sort of gets lost. Acting by the deaf lady could be better, but still a nice watch.

Lonely Planet (PG)

Traveling from one city to another, everyone is searching for something. Back and forth, we are only looking for a chance to start over again.Director: Tsang Tsui ShanCountry: Hong KongDuration: 25minYear: 2005Rating: N.A2 close friends, talking about what they should do with their lives. One of those "lets laze around and think about life" films...

She3 (PG)

The director continues her fascination with the relationships between females, this time in the form of a personal documentary of the everyday lives of her mother and grandmother, capturing the different views of life from women of three different ages.Director: Tsang Tsui ShanCountry: Hong KongDuration: 25minYear: 2005Rating: N.ASame director, better film. This documentary is natural, with the director filming her own mum & grandmum. You can see them going about their lives, zhi4 de2 qi2 le4. Nice look at rural Hong Kong.

Saturday, 8th April2.00pm

Girni (PG)

10-year-old Samir lives in a chawl in a metropolis in India with his widowed mother and grandfather. An easily available means to earn money is a grinding machine which brings with it a horrible, incessant and oppressive sound that not only takes away the physical but the mental space of the whole family. Samir’s innocent mind is alert to this oppression and rebels against it.

Director:

Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni

Country:

India

Duration:

22min

Year:

2005

Rating:

N.A

Rage against the machine, literally. Well shot, but the story is a bit, shall we say, "commercial".

Terlena (PG)

Documentary about a nation that still believes the propaganda created by one general and his army. This film gives voice to those silenced during the dictatorship of Soeharto, and takes an in-depth look both on a cultural and personal level.

Director:

Andre Vltchek

Country:

Indonesia

Duration:

89min

Year:

2004

Rating:

N.A

A powerful documentary, about how true events can be manipulated through propaganda.

4.00pm

The Three Dots (PG)Abortion, Corruption & Cops (PG)7.00pm Indonesian Shorts 1• A Very Boring Conversation• Mail• We are the Children of Indonesia too (PG)• Lukas' Moment (PG)9.00pm The Fish (PG)One ShotReplay RevengeSunday, 9th April2.00pm Indonesian Shorts 2• Bomb'n• 60 Years• To Die For• Live Under the Same Sun• Part II: Hell (PG)• R.I 1 (PG)• A Moment In and Out of Time (PG)• Already the Evening Sun (PG)4.00pm Putek (PG)Haus of Sing7.00pm Migrant Workers are not Terrorists (PG)Tehran Taxi (PG)Undo (PG)Monkey DancePrayers from Kawthoolei (PG)9.00pm Skein (PG)Al-Anfal (PG)Waking Up a Nation (PG)Monday, 10th April7.00pm Short Films of Ma Chun Fu (M18)Tears (PG)House of Sleeping Beauty (R21)9.00pm Indian Shorts by Sainath Choudhury• Village Football (PG)• The Stranger (PG)• Cataract (PG)Electric Purgatory: The Fate of the Black RockerTuesday, 11th April7.00pm Tale of Carpet Flower (G)Puppy (NC16)9.00pm What I'm looking ForParajanovWednesday, 12th April7.00pm Blank page (PG)Contrast (PG)Beijing Bubbles9.00pm Looking for the Lost VoiceMusiciansFriday, 14th April11am—10pm HeremiasSaturday, 15th April11am—1pm Singapore Short Films: Finalists2pm—6pm Singapore Short Films: Non-Finalists7pm—9pm Singapore Short Films: Finalists (Repeat Screening)9pm—11pm Singapore Short Films: Non-Finalists Download Singapore Short Films screening schedule.Sunday, 16th April11am The Visit (PG)On The North Diversion Road1pm—8pm Singapore Short Films: Non-FinalistsSaturday, 22nd April4pm Short & Sweet II - Short Films from GermanyProgram I - YOU AND ME• My Parents• Transposed Bodies• Annaottoanna• Stay Like This• Got to Go7.00pm Short & Sweet II - Short Films from GermanyProgram II - CLOSE TO HOME AND FAR AWAY• Finow• Educational Film About State Security Files• Inside Outside Mongolia• Notes for the Head• Howrah Howrah• On a Wednesday Night in Tokyo• Sky Film• Free ChoiceSunday, 23rd April4pm Short & Sweet II - Short Films from GermanyProgram III - YOUNG AND OLD• Gregor's Greatest Invention• Fragile• The Schoolboy• The Tell-tale Heart• Talks• Dead, At the Moment• Heavy Pregnant7pm Short & Sweet II - Short Films from GermanyProgram IV - SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO• Bjorn - The Hurdles of Bureaucracy• Small Change• Great• Escape!• Rabbit in the Hole• Business as Usual• The Day Winston Ngakambe Came to Kiel